Due to the size of composite parts such as airplane wings, composite part formation in a single step molding process has heretofore not been possible. No method has been developed for molding parts up to 70 feet in length, while holding critical dimensional features within narrow tolerance ranges, nor for producing composite components of sufficient structural integrity to satisfy design requirements.
Conventional composite part fabrication for such components typically involves the assembly of separate prefabricated details through co-bonding, secondary bonding, and/or mechanical fastening to build up structural components with multiple loading requirements. This type of manufacturing process involves the use multiple molding tools, as well as multiple processing steps.
Typically, various composite part components are molded independently, and then secured together by bonding or mechanical fastening in order to satisfy dimensional and loading requirements. These processes are highly labor intensive and require expensive tooling.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method for composite part fabrication in which very large composite parts may be molded on a single molding tool in a single-step molding operation.